Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Durant are set to face off for the 8th time later this week on Sunday Night Basketball.
The NBA Mailbag is open with NBA legend and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford here to answer your questions before Sunday Night Basketball matchups on NBC/Peacock. This week, Kevin Durant and the Rockets travel to San Antonio for a Texas clash with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs (8 ET, NBC/Peacock).
Have a question for Jamal? Submit it here.
What did you teach Wemby? He’s playing like a 7’5” version of you right now. Scary hours. – from Jonathan in Houston
With the way his mind works, it’s almost like he taught me. I can’t honestly say I taught him anything. And I’m not sure he would want me to reveal what we worked on. It was just an honor to be in the gym with him and spend so much time together away from the court. I’ve said it before, but it was easily one of my 5 greatest basketball experiences.
Do you think Wemby will have a case for GOAT by the end of his career? – from Liam in Adelaide, Australia
It’s so hard for me to look at anybody else as GOAT other than Michael Jordan. But Wemby is just such an unknown. We’ve never truly seen someone quite like him. He’s an alien, so let’s see how far this alien can take his career.
As a former elite guard, what are you watching from the backcourt matchups in Rockets-Spurs on Sunday? – from Sil in San Antonio, TX
I’m watching to see how a younger guy like Stephon Castle can handle different situations because I truly think he has some shades of Derrick Rose. And I told him this at All-Star. With his calmness and coolness, and how he’s not rattled even at a young age. Those qualities, and his explosiveness to the rim, are what remind me of D-Rose.
Do you consider the Spurs as a real contender despite the lack of experience? – from Seb in France
I do. I said earlier in the season, I feel like the Spurs have a chance to be like the Thunder were last year. They are that good. They have an elite defense, they have multiple ball handlers, which always helps in the playoffs, and they have clutch guys. And then they have Wemby, of course. So I think they have as good a shot as anybody in the Western Conference.
What enables Kon Knueppel to play as well as he does without using a lot of dribbles and/or crazy athleticism? – from Anthony in Wilson, NC
His IQ, and then his shooting. He knows his angles; he bumps and plays off of two feet. He’s just such a smart player. I always feel like when you’re that smart a player and you can shoot like that, you’ll always be effective.
Who’s your pick for Rookie of the Year? – from Drew in Wisconsin
I’ll go with Cooper Flagg. Obviously, I heard a lot about him over the years, being in the AAU circuit. But watching him in person and seeing that he does so many of the little things in addition to his pure skills, that’s the great separator.
Which team do you think is the most improved from last season to this season? – from Kelsey in Arizona
I’ll say the Spurs because they leaped from being a young team with promise to a true contender in a very short amount of time.
What’s going on with the Thunder and how can they get back to being the 24-1 team they were at the beginning of the season? – from Orson in Oklahoma City, OK
The Thunder are the hunted now. And obviously, they knew that coming into the season. But they’ve been up and down lately and have dealt with injuries. They’re still first in the West, though, and in great shape to make a repeat run. I feel like coach Mark Daigneault is a star on the sideline. It’s just right now, it’s a little choppier waters, and other teams have grown up and gotten better.
J-Crossover, first, you are best in biz with Uncle Reggie. Keep doing your thing! Second, is a healthy Denver squad — meaning a healthy Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson — the biggest threat to OKC in May and June? – from Coach Flight in Columbus, OH
Thanks, Coach Flight! I would say the Nuggets are one of the biggest threats, for sure. They have everything and are battle-tested at the championship level. As long as Jokić is out there and they have healthy pieces around him, then they know who they are and can beat anybody in a seven-game series.
Who’s your favorite player under the age of 25? – from Jakub on Facebook
I’ll go with Wemby, Paolo, Ant and Coop.
What’s your role player starting 5? – from Mohammad in Spain
Here’s my top 5 right now, not necessarily a starting lineup.
- Jaden McDaniels
- Derrick White
- Josh Hart
- Lu Dort
- Peyton Watson
Who was the player who guarded you the best? – from Moisés in the Dominican Republic
Tony Allen. He took such pride in defense. How I felt getting the score was how he felt getting the stop. He had quick feet, he was strong, and just had a mentality that was tough to defeat.
You just blew my mind about portraying the younger MJ in that iconic Gatorade commercial! Can you talk more about that experience? Did you have to learn/practice any of his mannerisms, moves, etc? Did he give you tips on how to portray him accurately? Was it you or MJ in the dunk sequence? – from Sam in Seattle, WA
It’s funny, I asked MJ while we were out there, “What are my lines?” He said, “Just talk.” I’m like, “Alright, am I trying to play like you or me?” He said, “Just play.” So I just played like me, but had in my mind that I would try to get to his certain spots on the floor, just so it kind of blended together.
And no, I did not do the dunk session. Neither did he. It was a guy by the name of Kevin Daley from the Globetrotters. Shoutout to Kevin Daley. He did most, if not all, of the dunking.
They gave me the Jordan 1s and a bunch of other Jordan stuff. And I actually got paid. When the check came from Gatorade in the mail, I could not believe it. Like, I got paid to be in this commercial with Jordan.
You mentioned having ‘secret moves’ you saved for an All-Star Game. Without giving them away, how do you even begin to conceptualize a move that’s never been seen before? – from Ayush on X (@Col_ASY)
When you’re doing it, you don’t think of it as if it’s never been seen before. Sometimes it just happens by accident. You just let your creative mind go. I mean, that’s how the shake and bake was born. That was made by feel. I love to be creative, and I love to be free. So if you put those two things together, that’s where magic can happen and something new is created.
If the world were on the line and you had to pick one dribble move to get by your defender, which one would it be? – from Lucas in Lebanon
I’m doing the 2K size up, as they call it, but it’s my hesitation because I have so many options off one start.
Who was the first NBA player you made touch Earth? – from Sunny in New York, NY
Instead of calling that person out, I’ll tell you who made me hit the floor: Willie Green. He got me with a left-to-right crossover in practice and I definitely fell. I’m just glad no one saw it.
How has social media affected players in the NBA? – from Michael in Rockville, MD
It’s a mixed bag. It can help grow your brand and increase your exposure. But then, at times, guys may make decisions based on being scared of hurting their brand because of the nature of social media. So there are pros and cons.
If you could replay one moment in your career, not a regret, but a fork in the road, just to see how the alternate timeline plays out, which moment are you rewinding? – from Ashif in New York, NY
It would be two things, actually. One would be with the Clippers, when we were up 3-1 on the Rockets. If we won that series, how far would we have gone? And then two, how many points would I have scored in the game I dropped 52 at The Garden if I hadn’t exited with seven minutes left? I think I’d have the record for most points at MSG, no disrespect to Melo, who holds the record.
"Best performance I've ever seen inside the Garden other than Jordan"
– Stephon Marbury on Jamal Crawford this day in 2007:
🏀 52 points career high
🏀 20-30 FG
🏀 16 FG in a row
🏀 8-10 threeBeat the champs D-Wade & Shaq Heat by 20 pic.twitter.com/RbjzgV5EtP
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 26, 2026
How do you prepare for an upcoming broadcast and what is a gameday routine for you and the broadcast crew? – from Queens Village, New York
We usually have a lunch meeting and then you get a chance to go back to your hotel room. Then we’ll have another pre-production meeting and usually meet with the coaches. Then we have the on-court rehearsal and get ready to go. It’s a lot of pregame work, for sure. You have to know so much before every game. It’s different from when I was in the studio. You need to be so locked in with everything. So it’s a lot of work, but it’s fun.
My name is Jamille, and I am in 9th grade. I’ve been playing basketball for 2 years and I want to play for a Division 1 university. Not many girls around where I’m from are creative with their playing style, and I want to do that like you. How do I get the type of handles you have? I fear I’m…stiff…how do I loosen up? Handle the ball with the amount of creativity and instinct you have? – from Jamille in Jasper, FL
One thing that’s always great is to take a ball with you everywhere you go. But you can also kind of freestyle dribble. If I were you, I would put on music (on headphones, in the gym, wherever) and try to stay with the beat while you dribble. It’ll give you a rhythm and a flow that won’t seem stiff. When I’m dribbling, it kind of feels like I’m dancing, in a way. So if you play music and just try to keep up with the beat while you’re dribbling, it’ll give you a natural flow. Then you can master that and you’ll have your own flow.
How can I improve reading the defender? – from Sam in Maryland
Watch film. Look at the defender’s natural tendencies. Then look at their feet and how they’re trying to guard you. That will show you their scheme and how they want to exploit your weaknesses. For example, if you’re right-handed and they want you to go left, then they think you’re not as strong going left. So by watching film, you can read the scheme and counter it.
Should I play AAU club ball on a circuit as an 8th grader, or should I just train in the summer and play circuit ball from 9th to 11th grade? – from Jacob in Prosser, WA
Development is always great. So I think train and get your confidence up before you actually go to the circuit and play. You will feel more prepared. The circuit will always be there, but your development and the foundation for your game are what’s most important because that’s what’s going to carry and sustain you.
